William p



w. B. BLADES.

Car Brak e.- I No. 79,805. 4 Patented lug 14,1868

NPETERS. PHOTQUIHOFRAF MER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

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WILLIAM P. BLADES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAN -D.

Letters Patent No. 79,805, dated July 14, 1868.

IMPROVED GAR-BRAKE.

Lite some retard ta in these Enters-fattest are making part at tipsmite.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY eononnm Be it known that I, \VILLIAM P. BIiADES, ofBaltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and usefulImprovement ingCar-Brakesf and I do hereby declare that the followingisa full and exact description thereof, reference being hadto' theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

In the drawings, my invention is shown as follows, viz:

Figure I is aside view, showing it in contact with a car-wheel;

Figure II is a side sectional view.

Figure III is an end view, as applied to the wheels of a car.

This invention consists in suspending the brakes of a car in suchamannerthat when they are applied the whole breaking-surface of the shoewill press equally upon the wheel at the same time.

In construction I form my brake with the shoe A, brake-block B,suspension-link G and connecting-piece D.

In the centre of the brake-block is formed a slot, e, for the receptionof the piece D, which connects the brake-block with the brake-bar.This'slot is sufficiently larger than the end of the piece D to allowthe latter to play freely vertically, but in no other' way. Thisconnecting-piece D'has its ends rounded, and is held in the slot in thebrake-block by the ping running horizontally through them both. Thispinf passes also through ends of the suspension-link 0, thus making acommon pivoted centre. The rounded end of the connecting-piece D comesin contact with the bottom of the slot e at all times, thus relievingthe ping of strain. The pinfis ordinarily a large bolt with broad head,and can be taken out to be replaced easily. The connecting-piece D isfastened rigidly to the brake-bar in any convenient manner, so as to beeasily fastened or withdrawn.

The operation of this brake is as follows:

When the brakes are put down, the brake-bar g moving toward thecar-wheel, (if it does not bring all of the surface of the shoe incontact at first,) brings some portion of it either at the upper orlower end of the shoe, and the pressure of the brake-bar towards thewheel of the car still continuing, and the brake-block being hinged atthe pin) and at 71., the whole surface of the shoe is brought intocontact with the wheel nearly instantaneously, and the greatest amountof friction is obtained with the least practical wear of the brake.

The advantages of this improvement in brakes are, first, that the shoe,from always pressing equally hard with all of its surface, wearsuniformly, and not as the brake commonly in use, which is suspended at apoint above the centre of the block, and which often becomes uselesswhen not more than half of the friction-surface has been used.

It is also a much more eflicient brake than that in general use, becausethere is friction over the whole surface of the brake invariably. I

I do not confine myself to making the brake-block and shoe of one piece,as they may be made separately and then joined. V I I And now,having-described my invention, what I claim as new,-and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

The brake-block l3, constructed with the slotted oavity incombinationwith the supporting-bolt D, made with a neck or bolt to pass throughbrake-bar, andwhen pivoted to the block by the same link which supportsthe whole, substantially as described.

WM. P. BLADES.

Witnesses:

I08. 13. Sn'rn, Tues. W. Gnlrrrr.

